Designer Explains How the BMW 4 Series' Grille Was Allowed to Happen

The coupe was introduced, and instead of everyone focusing on its engine selection, its performance, or its handling, all discussions gravitated around only one aspect: the car's grille. Granted, it's massive, so it might as well have its own gravity pull.

People either don't like it or are afraid to come out and admit it. No matter how hard you scour the world wide web - to the point where you can even visit BMW-dedicated websites and forums - you won't find anyone saying they like what the design team did with the face of the new 4 Series. At best, you might get an "I don't mind it," but that's about as positive as it gets.

And it's not just regular people you'll find scratching their heads or looking elsewhere in fear of being turned into stone: car designers do it too. We've had several talking about the new 4 Series featured on our website, and since it's been a while, we figured we'd give the mic to one more.

His name is Richard Ferlazzo, and you'll be excused if you never heard of him. That's because, despite the fact he's been in the field for over 30 years, he only worked for Holden in Australia, so unless you come from Down Under, the name likely doesn't ring any bells.

Anyway, it doesn't take long to realize he knows what he's talking about, and not only that, but he's also a quite pleasant individual. He's the kind of guy who can be critical without sounding mean, and after years spent reading online comment sections, that's one quality you won't be accustomed to.

We'll skip the part where he talks about all the good things on the new 4 Series and jump straight to the kidney grille. When we first saw it, we said "beaver". It looks like Richard tends to lean more toward a rabbit, but the idea is the same: instead of kidneys, the grille now resembles the two front teeth of a rodent. Yes, rabbits are not rodents, but we all know they can eat like one.

The grille talk starts around the 6:30 mark, but the real question is asked a few moments later when Alex, the presenter, wants to know how "something like this" could happen inside a company. Let's face it, that is the question all of us have been asking from the moment we saw the new design. Richard gives a pertinent explanation that's strangely similar to what we alluded to back in June, shortly after the BMW broke cover. In short, it's your fault (alright, ours too), but have a listen if you want the nuances.